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Tory talks fuel fear of poison alliance

Burnham hits out on dangers of Ukip coalition

DAVID Cameron was under pressure last night to come clean over plans for a “poisonous” post-election pact with Nigel Farage amid fears it would speed up NHS privatisation.

Labour shadow health minister Andy Burnham challenged the Prime Minister as the Tories cosied up to Ukip in the wake of Thursday’s TV election debate.

In a letter, he said: “Your deal with Ukip is a poisonous proposition that would deny working people the care they rely on from a service they cherish.”

Both Tory Chancellor George Osborne and Chief Whip Michael Gove had repeatedly ducked questions over the prospect of a right-wing coalition.

Mr Gove refused to answer in English when quizzed on BBC Question Time, saying only: “Nein danke.”

Labour MP Karl Turner, who was behind the scenes at Thursday’s debate in Manchester, reported that the Tories deliberately did not attack Ukip.

“Tory special advisers briefing spokespersons not to attack Ukip at all and not to rule out coalition with Nigel Farage,” he wrote on Twitter.

And Mr Farage fuelled speculation yesterday by describing the Tory leader as “somebody we can sit down and talk to.”

Speaking to broadcasters about the prospects of a hung parliament, he said Ukip “could never” form a coalition with Labour because they don’t support an EU referendum.

But Mr Farage added: “Mr Cameron at least has been forced into promising that, and so after the election he is somebody we can sit down and talk to.”

Mr Burnham said that was proof the parties were preparing to work together in the event of a hung parliament.

“Now you have it straight from the horse’s mouth — Nigel Farage and the Tories are preparing to work together.

“The Tories and Ukip have a shared agenda to increase privatisation of the NHS. Together they would end healthcare as we know it.”

A Tory councillor in Yorkshire defected to Ukip minutes before the debate, which was watched by 7 million people, began.

Mick Burchill claimed: “Nigel Farage is a listener as well as a talker and I like that.”

Meanwhile, Labour leader Ed Miliband declared yesterday that “the British people are boss,” when asked to speculate on how the TV debates would affect the election.

Campaigning in Blackpool, he said: “They are the people that make this decision, and I want to show to them how we can change this country to work for them.”

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